Addie's first trip to the zoo!

What a perfect day! The weather was beautiful and we had the best time! Addie never made a peep the whole time, she just looked at everything and everybody and took it all in! She loved the train ride with the wind blowing in her face and hair! She just smiled and kept looking up at me - she was so sweet!

My boys!

As we entered the gift shop on our way out, Addie just couldn't take it any longer!

Addie and Caleb

Anna took pictures of Addie and Caleb playing outside. She said they had a great time playing and finding leaves. I am truly blessed to have wonderful people to take care of Addie during the day!

That's how it's done!

The Lookouts finally stepped up and got in the game tonight! It's the first year for kid pitch and the game moves painfully slow, so Julien only managed to get in one awesome hit! They won by two - great job!


















The full moon brought about a crazy couple of days!

Addie - Julien's biggest fan!

Thanks to our new friends!

Julien and Addie during playtime with the toys from our new friends at Children's Hospital E.D.! Thank you!

Hurtful news

I emailed Dr. Ness (the best neurologist in the world) today to find out if Addie's odds of having seizures were now decreased (or eliminated all together) since her secondary diagnosis was omitted. We were really hoping to be able to buy her new toys with lights and start planning our next trip to Orlando. I don't know why this upset me so much. It isn't anything new, I was just hoping... Addie is watched 24/7, whether it be by us or a video monitor if we leave the room. She does so well, I am petrified of the thought of her having seizures. Please keep her in your prayers.

This was her reply:

"Mrs. Henderson:
I think Addison will still be at risk for seizures because her brain is
abnormally small but hopefully it is lower risk than if she also had pachygyria.
We will just have to see how she does.  She could be seizure free even with
pachygyria or have terrible seizures with the mildest form of microcephaly.  In
my practice, many of my patients with the worst seizures have normal MRIs...so
you never can tell."

Donations

I set up an on-line page at The First Giving if anyone is interested in making a donation to The Bell Center in honor of Addie for the Mercedes Marathon. Your gift is invaluable to the children who utilize the services that are offered!

http://www.firstgiving.com/AddieHenderson


If you have any questions, please email me at:

addiesadvocate@yahoo.com

Thank you!

Relay information

Here is the information regarding the relay. Chris and I need three people to join our team. We are hoping to have one more team join with us. That way we will have someone to walk our part of the race with us (hope that makes sense). There is a $100 registration fee which will apply towards our fundraising goal. Please let me know if anyone has any questions!

MALM

Some days it just breaks my heart that Addie isn't babbling like other babies...and then I realize that I am the most blessed mother in the world. I have this precious gift from GOD and she is perfect. This past Saturday Addie started making a new noise and this time it had syllables in it! She is saying what sounds like "malm". There are definite "m" and "l" sounds and I'm hoping that it is an emerging "mom" sound! I tell Addie all the time that I don't care what she says, just to say something, knowing all too well that I've been told she will only have limited speech capability (if I listen to what I'm told and you can ask my Mom...I usually don't!). I'm praying that GOD grants me the knowledge to help Addie learn to speak (and sign). HE is right here beside me.

Tired from all the excitement!

Addie is teething and has a tendency to bite on the straps of her car seat (because the four teethers that I keep in the car are just not as good!). After we left the hospital today, she was so sleepy that she fell asleep while gnawing on the straps!

Children's E.D. visit

Addie and I went to visit the nurses at the emergency room department of Children's Hospital today. I can't tell you what an honor it was to meet them all! They have become a part of Addie's "fan club" and have been so kind with their encouraging words over the past few months. I don't know what it was, but I HAD to take Addie to see them and I am so glad that I did! Thank you all for being so wonderful and kind and thank you for loving Addie. It means more than words can ever say! Not only did Addie get to meet some amazing people, but they also presented her with gifts to make her feel welcome and sent gifts home for Julien (pictures coming soon). I know that GOD puts people in my path for a reason and I am blessed to have these amazing women in my life!

Baseball note from Julien

Julien wanted me to let everyone know that his uniform this season is red instead of black and green. Just in case anyone comes to the field looking for his team! :)

Biter biscuit!

I remember quite well the first time Julien tried a biter biscuit and eight years was a very long time to wait for my next baby to get to enjoy the same experience! Addie LOVED the biscuit...Mmm Mmm good!

GOD is good!

Addie has been rolling from her back to her stomach for a while now, but always required a little assistance. This morning, while working so hard during therapy, she rolled from her back to her stomach completely unassisted!!!!! I have been working with her for months along with all of her therapists - this was a major goal for us! I was just telling Heather (physical therapist) on Thursday that I had stopped getting so upset over this delay, because I knew it would come in time and look what happened! This is such a big deal because Addie struggles so much because of the disproportion of her head to her body. She's a fighter just like me and we never give up! GOD is with us and continues to show how amazing he is!

Questions about the Mercedes Marathon

Thank you to everyone that has shown an interest in running for Addie or making a donation! Since this is all new to me, I'm still gathering all the information from The Bell Center about how the team will be coordinated. I hope to get all the answers in tomorrow and the complete information out to everyone in the next few days. I didn't expect this many questions in the first 24 hours! Thank you!!!!

The Mercedes Marathon

Chris and I have decided to participate in The Mercedes Marathon, which will take place on February 10, 2008. Unfortunately, since neither one of us are runners, we are limited to walking in the race. We are looking for anyone who is willing to join our team for a relay and run in Addie's name (full marathon, half marathon, three, six or seven mile spans). The registration fee is $100 per person. My goal is to raise $1,310 if Chris and I have to do this on our own and $2,600 if we do this as a team.
I have to do this for Addie. This is vitally important to me. If anyone is interested in joining our team, please email me at: addiesadvocate@yahoo.com.
Also, if anyone is interested in making a donation in Addie's name (or any other child's name), please let me know. All donations benefit The Bell Center. For those of you who will thankfully never have any personal connection to The Bell Center, this place has been a GOD send for me. The benefits that Addie and all children receive are immeasurable and my gratitude for the center and the therapists who work there will never be truly expressed.

For more information, please visit: http://thebellcenter.org/marathon.html



This is Addie's picture from the 2007 marathon. How can I not do this for her?

Beautiful afternoon at the park...

The afternoon was just too beautiful to waste! We had dinner at the park so we could eat and play...no 30 minute buffer to let our food digest! Julien was so proud to have the honor of being the first person to take Addie on a slide! They had a great time! (Yes, I realize that it is 84 degrees outside, but Addie just came from daycare where it is subzero temperatures all day long and I have to dress her warmly!)

Addie's first school pictures!

These are Addie's first school pictures taken at daycare two weeks ago. It took a LOT of work to get these smiles! I was sitting right beside her the whole time and Chris was behind the camera trying to get her to smile. Considering these are just school pictures, I thought they turned out nicely!

Fall baseball

In the rush from work to daycare to therapy to school, home to change and back out to the ball field tonight, I left the camera at home...I just don't know why I couldn't manage to remember that one little detail!
Julien had his first baseball game tonight and wow did it turn out bad!!! The score ended up being a zillion to one! The one and only time that Julien got up to bat, he managed to kill the ball and did very well! He also did a great job playing first, but apparently tonight was just not our night! Addie was a great little cheerleader the first hour but by the end of the night, sleep deprivation took over and she was ready to GO! I hope fall ball gets better than it was tonight or it's going to be a long season!

Cousins

This is Kayla and Gabi - Julien and Addie's cousins. We don't get to see them very often and miss them bunches! We hope to see them again soon!

A Taste of The Summit

We went to "A taste of The Summit" today, which benefited The Bell Center.






Addie was just precious in her new sunglasses!


















Here we are with our friends - Dewana and Trenton and Patti and Bergen. Trenton is a Valentine's Baby and Baby Bergen is almost four weeks younger than Addie! We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends!

Hope

I don't think these words could be any more perfect. We saw this sign last night and I had to go back today to take a picture of it.

Addie and Ali

Here is Addie, Ali and the "infamous ball". Anna took this picture a few minutes before the bullying incident. :)

Little orphan Addie

It was just one of those evenings. Addie messed up her pants, so I grabbed the first pair I saw in her closet. Then dinner managed to sneak underneath her bib and onto her shirt. When she was all done, I wiped her face with two clean wipes and still the beef and carrots were glued to her mouth...by the end of it all, she looked like a poor little orphan!







































































We are sitting outside watching Chris do yard work. The wind was blowing and Addie was getting so excited seeing the leaves move back and forth, so here she is cheering them on! Silly baby...

Squish...

All comfy cozy in Mommy's arms at Isabelle's birthday party!

Great job Julien!

Julien brought home his report card this afternoon and he made all A's! To top that off, he made a 100 in spelling! I am so proud of him; he always does so well!

Pookis Pie

My little "Pookis Pie" helping in the kitchen...

Check out her clapping skills (a little imagination is required)!

Clap, clap, clap!!!

Before Addie (B.A.), I NEVER cried. It would take something BIG to make me cry...having to board a plane to move to Hawaii when I'm petrified of heights and the thought of crashing into shark infested waters, losing my Dad, having a gun held to my head (two bank robberies), driving cross country with a three-week-old infant during an ice storm on Christmas Eve...you know, those BIG life events. Now, all I have to do is think about all of Addie's accomplishments and I tear up. On September 11, Addie started clapping her hands! Although optimistic, I kept watching her to see if she was intentionally clapping her hands or if she just happened to be bringing her hands together. I asked her daycare providers and therapists, "Is she?" "Does it look like she's clapping her hands?" "Do you think she really is?"...I was afraid it was too good to be true! Well, tonight when we got home there is no doubt about it; she is clap, clap, clapping...at everything! She is so excited and I am just thrilled! Did I tear up? You bet I did! I couldn't be more proud of her! I pray constantly for my children. I pray for the big things and the little things. This was really important to me because it shows me even more how she's thinking and making connections. I am truly the most blessed Mom in the world. I thank God for my children and all that they are! My next small goal for Addie is for her to start waving "bye-bye"... I'll need to keep the Kleenex handy!

Tooth number five!

Addie woke up with tooth number five this morning! This one is her right front tooth...can you say crab? She is just miserable (you would never know from these pictures)!!!!

Addie and Daddy in the "man cave"!

"Abusing" the baby!

:)

















Julien brought this "thing" home from school today. It was one of his prizes for participating in a fundraiser. We couldn't resist trying it out on Addie. She didn't seem to mind, although it was a little heavy...I guess she can take the abuse as well as dish it out! I took it off right after the pictures and told the boys that playtime was over...no more "abusing" the baby!

Post surgical check-up

We saw Dr. Davis this morning for Addie's re-check for her ears. Everything went perfectly! Her tympanogram registered a 1.7 in BOTH ears! Her tubes are open and clear and there is no sign of infection! I love great news!

Working so hard!

At The Bell Center today, we saw Addie's new physical therapist - Heather. I couldn't be more pleased with her as a person and with the technique she uses for therapy! Addie didn't cry AT ALL during the entire hour, which is a bit unheard of! Addie practiced crawling (with assistance), "come to sit" and practiced playing while in the kneeling position. Based on how well Addie is doing with "come to sit", Heather thinks she will be able to sit up on her own soon!!! Heather checked Addie's muscle tone regarding my concern with the tightness in her arms and amazingly didn't find anything alarming (we are going to just keep an eye on it)! I have been praying so hard that her daily exercises would begin to allow her to move more freely and God is listening! HE is with me each step of the way!

Classroom bully...

When we walked in to Addie's classroom this afternoon, Ms. Anna (one of her teachers) had a huge smile on her face and told us that we "just missed it". Addie and Allie were playing on the floor, Addie was sitting up and Allie was laying beside her, they each had the exact same ball (purple and yellow with a bell inside - we have one at home too...just imagine an oversized cat toy) and appeared to be having a great time. Addie spotted the second ball in Allie's hand and went for it. She plucked the ball right out of her hand and seemed quite pleased with herself! Can I tell you how happy Anna was??? After being told over and over the things Addie will not do, we are all thrilled at the little things she does do! The act of taking a toy away from a child displays cognitive thinking... I am so proud of my little bully! :)

Perfect

Lots of hard work...

I'm helping Addie to play in a kneeling position, which will encourage her to start doing this on her own. She's not there yet, but she has stopped fussing when we do this exercise...we're making progress!